Risks
by BlackFox12
Summary: Follows Ticking off the Boss. Don isn't happy about Colby's refusal to see a doctor. Contains slash and spanking. Don't like? Don't read


**Risks**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything from Numb3rs and I'm not making any money from this fic

**Summary:** Follows Ticking off the Boss. Don isn't happy about Colby's refusal to see a doctor

**Warning(s):** Spoilers up to and including the episode Primacy in season four; spanking; some mentions of violence

**Pairing:** Don/Colby (slash)

**Reading Order:-**

1) Reinstating Trust  
>2) Coping With Mistakes<br>3) Ticking off the Boss  
>4) Risks<p>

* * *

><p>"What's this I hear about you refusing to see a doctor?"<p>

Colby looked up at Don from where he was sitting at the desk and then around at the rest of the team, all of whom were doing their own work – though it wouldn't surprise him if they were listening in. This was the first time Don had actually approached him where the others could hear and Colby found himself close to squirming in his seat.

Don looked pretty annoyed with him. Again.

"I didn't need to see a doctor." The words left Colby before he could stop them and a part of him cringed. Did he even know when to keep his mouth shut? Once again, he wondered how he could resist interrogation while being tortured, but seemed incapable of hiding anything from Don.

"You got pulled along. It was only because Charlie happened to be there that you didn't drown – or get even worse hurt." Don spoke very quietly, but had a serious tone to his voice. "When you finish up here, I want you to meet me back at the apartment." Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked into his office.

Colby let out a breath he hadn't even realised he'd been holding and wondered if he was even going to survive later. Morosely, he thought about calling David for backup – but then cringed at the thought of having to tell his friend about the 'other' part of his relationship with Don.

Was he ever going to learn that trying to keep things from Don never ended well for him?

Colby turned back to the report he was working on and struggled to focus on that and not on what was going to happen later. Maybe he should finish the report later...

David headed over to Colby and leaned over his shoulder. "Do you want me to take over?"

"Nah, it's okay. I'll just finish the report later." Colby closed the computer down and stood up. "I'll catch up with you tomorrow." If he survived. He resisted the urge to try and peer through the walls of Don's office to check on what his partner was doing and kept his eyes on David.

"Just try not to annoy him even more, okay?" David said. "Apologise and don't try to come up with excuses. They'll just make it even worse."

"Thanks for the advice. When did you turn into an agony aunt?" Colby shook his head. "I'll see you tomorrow." He headed out of the offices.

* * *

><p>When Don came into the apartment, Colby looked up as he smelled food. He came to meet his partner. "Chinese?"<p>

"Yeah." Don exhaled slowly as he watched Colby, placing the food down on the table. "You're looking a lot better."

"I was just bruised. I didn't need to go to the hospital." As soon as Colby said the words, he wished he hadn't. The look on Don's face made it quite clear that he didn't appreciate the response – and Colby remembered David's advice about not just making excuses. "Never mind," he said quickly. "Let's eat." He started doing so and then paused, looking at Don. "How much does Charlie know about us?"

"It's difficult to say," Don replied. "He told me about you getting hurt and you refusing to see a doctor, but whether it was because I'm your boss or because he suspects something... Who can tell what Charlie's thinking?"

"Charlie's smart," Colby said. "I'm not sure why you haven't told him and your dad about us yet."

"Every time I've been about to, something happens," Don admitted. "You remember when we found out your name was on the Janus List? Before then, I'd been thinking it was time to tell them... but then things got all caught up with you being arrested and then escaping and getting tortured. I guess I was more concerned with making sure we were still good."

"I'm not insecure," Colby said. "I know things have been... well..." He shrugged. Even though the rest of the team had finally forgiven him for lying to them for two years, a part of him still felt guilty about it – even with the hard spanking Don had given him.

Don put his own food down and stepped forward, taking Colby's wrists and pulling him close to kiss him, hard.

Colby kept his eyes open as he held onto Don, taking the comfort the other man offered. "It's nice to be completely honest with you," he admitted. "I'm not sure you know how hard it was to lie to all of you for two years."

"And yet you're still lying to me – or keeping things from me, which is pretty much the same thing. Why? I'm not going to think any less of you if you get hurt or anything. And I do trust you again. I know you'll have my back anytime."

Colby didn't know how to describe how that made him feel. He was relieved that at least he'd finally managed to get Don's trust back. Of course, he'd never had any doubts about their feelings for each other, even after he'd nearly screwed things up almost beyond repair.

Don patted Colby lightly on the shoulder and then let go of him. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

Colby didn't have to ask what 'it' was. He simply gave a nod and walked over to the couch. Without needing to be told, he put his hands to his trousers and undid them, shoving them down. He glanced at Don, wondering if he should pull his boxers down as well.

"You can leave them up," Don said, picking up the pointer and taking a few practise swings through the air with it.

Colby nodded, reflecting that at least he hadn't needlessly endangered himself. He braced his hands on the seat cushions and leaned over, tensing up a little as Don rested the pointer against his backside. How many times was he going to end up in this position before he learned?

The pointer whistled as Don swished it through the air and Colby flinched as it landed on his backside and quickly rebounded. Don wasn't holding back – but then again, he never did.

Colby grunted at the second strike, wincing a little. The third one landed across his thighs and he jerked slightly, knowing that he was going to do his damned best not to get himself in this position yet again.

Don paused and then rested his hand on Colby's back before he lashed the pointer down a fourth time. Colby's fists clenched on the sofa cushions, but he stayed down, managing to keep his position even through the pain. His breath hissed out with the next two strokes, but even when Don removed his hand, he didn't attempt to get up, not sure if it was over or not.

After a few moments, Don pulled Colby up and into his arms, holding onto him. "Don't do this again," he warned.

Colby didn't bother trying to come up with either explanations or excuses, just let his head rest against Don's shoulder, accepting the comfort and wondering just how many more times he was going to screw up.


End file.
